Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So... I got my painted turtle in minnesota in early June while traveling back from a vacation in Minnesota (I live in Iowa). I found the turtle next to the interstate... about 1000 yards from the closest lake I think. I took it home with me... and I suspected that it was between 3-5 years old and female.

I just noticed that my turtle laid an egg... I just noticed it out of the corner of my eye... but I think its fairly fresh. I didnt expect it to ever lay eggs as its not caged with any other turtles... so I keep it in a tank with water and a rock to stand on. The turtle laid the egg in water, and that immediately struck me as odd... as I am under the impression painteds lay eggs in like sand or dirt. I moved it as quick as I could... I put it in some sand with a heat lamp over it (in a ten gallon tank).

I need some help.... this is what I need to know:

-is it possible for a painted turtle to lay a fertile egg given the time span she has been without contact from a male turtle... or any turtle for that matter

-how many eggs do painted turtles usually lay?

-how do I care for the egg? (or eggs is she lays more)

-how long do eggs take to hatch?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated... I dont know much about turtles... just basically there eating habbits. My turtle was originally from northern minnesota... near leach lake, north of brainerd.

Thanks!

Yes if there is no land mass turtles will lay in water I've had this happen too. If you tokk it out in time it will take aproximately 2 mos. to hatch. Clutch size can be from 3 - 12 depending on size but assuming you have an midland painted from where you found her about 5 should be ok.She mated before you caught her.

Female turtles will lay eggs wheather or not they're fertile. If she has not had contact with a male for a while, there's a great chance her eggs are "dummy" non-fertile eggs. Usually if a female has fertile eggs, she will lay a clutch from 3 to 10 eggs. If she's popping out 1 or 2 at a time then she's just trying to get them out. As long as the eggs are white and not brown or black, then she'll be ok.